title: Balloon cell melanoma in primary care practice: a case report.
abstract: A case of balloon cell melanoma encountered in a primary care skin cancer practice in Melbourne, Australia is presented. The presenting lesion was 6 mm in diameter, ulcerated, non-pigmented and without any algorithmic clues to melanoma. However the presence of terminal hairs caused the clinician to suspect that it was melanocytic. The lesion was reported as a balloon cell melanoma, Clark level 4, Breslow thickness 2 mm with a mitotic index of 4 per square mm. This is an extremely rare melanoma subtype. Author DW has encountered only two cases in a career involving in excess of one million signed out dermatopathology reports. A search of the literature has not discovered any previously published dermatoscopy images of a balloon cell melanoma.
authors.affiliation: Sun Patrol Skin Cancer Clinic, Berwick, Australia.
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inskip
authors.forename: Jill
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Magee
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barksdale
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Weedon
authors.forename: Cliff
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rosendahl
keywords: balloon cell melanoma; balloon cell nevus; congenital nevus; dermatopathology; dermatoscopy; dermoscopy; terminal hairs